Department for Transport

Transport: Coronavirus

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding by way of loans or guarantees they have provided under COVID-19 assistance schemes (1) to international airline operators, (2) to international rail operators, and (3) to international shipping operators.

baroness vere of norbiton: Her Majesty’s Treasury has been releasing weekly figures since 12 May for the three Covid-19 business lending schemes which show continued support for thousands of businesses. The Government is considering what further data can be made available in the future, while balancing the sensitive commercial nature of this information for lenders.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Housing: Energy

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made in theimplementation and roll out of the retrofitting standard PAS 2035; andwhetherthey anticipate the implementation and roll out of the standardto be completed in time for the planned start of the Green Homes Grants.

lord callanan: PAS 2035 was published in June 2019 and is already being implemented under the Energy Company Obligation. Obligated energy suppliers currently have an incentive to install measures to PAS 2035 and all measures will have to be installed to the standard from 1 July 2021.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Istanbul: Religious Buildings

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representationsthey havemade to the government of Turkey about the decision to convert the Hagia Sofia into a mosque.

baroness sugg: While we note the concern that President Erdoğan's decision to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque has caused internationally, the Government regards this as a sovereign matter for Turkey. We have therefore not discussed the matter with Turkey. However, we would expect that Hagia Sophia - part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site - remains accessible to all, as testament to its global cultural and religious significance and Turkey's rich and diverse historical and cultural legacy, and that its precious artefacts are preserved. We therefore welcome the public statements by Turkish leaders that this historic building will continue to be accessible to people of all faiths and nationalities, which would be consistent with the Turkish constitution's provisions for freedom of conscience and religion for all.

Armed Conflict

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the difference between a hostile act and an act of war; and what types of action would fall under each definition.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Since the adoption of the UN Charter international law is not framed in terms of "act of war", but rather in terms of "use of force". Article 2(4) of the Charter prohibits the threat or use of force that threatens the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. However the Charter also recognises that a state has a right to use force to defend itself against an armed attack or imminent armed attack. Actions that fall short of an armed attack could still constitute an unlawful intervention in the domestic affairs of the UK, prohibited by both Article 2(7) of the UN Charter and customary international law. Any assessment would need to be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all of the facts.

Libya: Politics and Government

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they havemade of the impact of any increase of politicalinstability in Libya; and whether they expect mass movement of refugees into southern Europe as a result of any such instability.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and the risks to wider regional stability. The UK is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. We continue to call on all parties to de-escalate, commit to a lasting ceasefire and return to UN-led political talks. Most recently, at the 8 July UN Security Council meeting, the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa reiterated that external backers must stop sending arms to Libya, adhere to the Berlin Conference commitments made in January, and support the parties to achieve a ceasefire and reach an inclusive political solution. We welcome the engagement of the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army in the UN led 5+5 military talks. It is essential that both sides engage fully with this process.The UK calls on all parties to the conflict to engage with the UN and the humanitarian community. This is essential to allow for civilians, including refugees and migrants and the wounded, to be evacuated to safety and for aid to reach those in need. As part of our current £75 million migration programme along the Central Mediterranean Route, we have allocated over £7 million to humanitarian assistance and protection for migrants and refugees in Libya, including targeted healthcare provision. The ongoing confrontation continues to exacerbate human migration and the UK is clear that the situation can be best improved under the stability of a united and representative government, facilitated by the UN-led process. That is why we continue to actively support the UN-led political process and an inclusive political settlement for Libya.

Northern Ireland Office

Ports: Northern Ireland

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the level of detail involved in the checks being planned at ports in Northern Ireland.

viscount younger of leckie: There will be no new customs infrastructure in Northern Ireland. These rules will be administered by the UK authorities, who can exercise their discretion on when goods need to be checked. We have always been clear that, following the Northern Ireland Protocol, there would be a limited expansion of facilities at some existing entry points, where certain controls for animal and plant health already take place. We have submitted to the EU applications for these entry points. We continue to work with the Executive on proposals to minimise requirements on the movement of food and agricultural products, in line with the approach we set out in our May Command Paper.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Children

baroness garden of frognal: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice and evidence do they have concerning the transmission of COVID-19 between children and between children and adults, including how this varies with age group of the child.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: China

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment have they made of (1) reports that the government of China asked the World Health Organisation to delay issuing a global warning about the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the study by the University College London Genetics Institute Emergence of genomic diversity and recurrent mutations in SARS-CoV-2, published on 5 May, which found evidence to suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic started between 6 October 2019 and 11 December 2019; and whether they received any reports to suggest that there were COVID-19 cases in Wuhan in October 2019.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Care Homes: Coronavirus

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Public Health England, (2) the Care Quality Commission, or (3) the Department of Health and Social Care, has had responsibility for carrying out COVID-19 tests in care homes; who is currently responsible for such testing; and what steps they are taking to ensure clarity about such testing for care home operators.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Cancer: Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of any additional risk encountered by cancer patients as a result of a delay to their receiving letters advising them to shield themselves from COVID-19.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Care Homes: Lancashire

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government how often (1) residents, and (2) staff, in care homes in Lancashire are tested for COVID-19.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bethell on 10 June (HL3869), whether R is the rate of infection, as referred to in the answer, or the reproductive ratio.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prepare for a potential second peak of COVID-19 infections.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Care Homes: Coronavirus

baroness murphy: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to testing care and nursing home residents for COVID-19 (1) before, (2) upon, and (3) three days after, admission so as to allow for a seven day quarantine period; and what assessment they have made of the impact of any such testing programme on the mental health and well-being of residents in such homes.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Department for Education

Schools: Mental Health

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of programmes in place to address mental health issues in primary and post-primary schools.

baroness berridge: There are a wide range of evidence-based programmes and interventions available for schools to use to support the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. Schools should choose how best to support their pupils depending on local needs and context and reference to the evidence base.The department-funded ‘Supporting Mental Health in Schools and Colleges’ survey in the academic year 2016-17 found that schools already have a wide range of provision on offer. For example, 61% provided school counselling, 70% had support programmes for specific groups of pupils and 53% offered peer support or mentoring. The department’s School Snapshot survey from summer 2019 found that 96% of schools provided support for pupils with identified mental health needs. We have included schools with sources of evidence-based wellbeing activities as part of our guidance on providing education remotely and as pupils return to school so that they can continue to do this.In order to improve the evidence base available to schools, the department is funding a large-scale programme of randomised controlled trials of school based mental health and wellbeing interventions. The aim of the ‘Education for Wellbeing’ programme is to provide evidence on what works to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and how it can be delivered effectively in a school setting. The programme consists of 2 large trials, and there will be around 350 participating schools by the end of the project in 2021, making this one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.The department has also published detailed plans for all children and young people to return to full-time education from September. The guidance highlights the particular need to focus on pastoral support and mental wellbeing as a central part of what schools provide, in order to re-engage them and rebuild social interaction with their friends and teachers. This will involve curriculum provision as well as extra-curricular and pastoral support, and our recently published relationships, sex and health education training module will support teachers with preparation to deliver content on mental health and wellbeing. The guidance for schools is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/schools-and-colleges-to-reopen-in-full-in-september.The department in collaboration with Public Health England and NHS England, delivered 2 webinars in July to provide further mental health support. The first webinar was for schools and colleges to support teachers in promoting and supporting the mental wellbeing of children and young people during the COVID-19 outbreak. The second event was for stakeholders across the local system to support strengthening of local partnerships to further support children and young people’s mental health as they return to school. We had around 10,000 sign up to the first webinar and around 1,300 to the second, and they are now available online for wider use.We also remain committed to implementing the core proposals set out in response to the consultation on ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: A Green Paper’. Part of that commitment includes establishing new Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in 20-25% of the country by 2023, as part of the additional support for children and young people’s mental health in the NHS Long Term Plan, and we are ahead of trajectory to achieving this. Where already established, MHSTs are adapting their services to continue supporting children and young people remotely during the COVID-19 outbreak. The green paper is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper.The National Institute for Health Research and Health Services & Delivery Research Policy Research Programme programmes have jointly commissioned Birmingham, RAND and Cambridge Evaluation Centre and the Policy Innovation and Evaluation Research Unit to carry out a robust and independent evaluation of the implementation of core proposals within the ‘Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: A Green Paper’. The protocol for this evaluation was published in October 2019 and is available here: https://fundingawards.nihr.ac.uk/award/16/138/31.Evaluation fieldwork was paused due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Future plans for the evaluation are currently being reviewed to account for impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak on fieldwork, and any revisions will be included in an updated evaluation protocol.

Educational Institutions: Drugs

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many drug-related offences occurred on educational premises in (1) 2015–16, (2) 2016–17, (3) 2017–18, and (4) 2019–20.

baroness berridge: The department does not gather data on drug related offences on educational premises. Individual police forces are responsible for recording crime data at a local level.The department worked with the National Police Chiefs Council on developing guidance for schools and colleges. It sets out when a school or college should consider calling the police with regard to drugs and what to expect if they do.The guidance on what steps to take can be found here:https://www.npcc.police.uk/documents/Children%20and%20Young%20people/When%20to%20call%20the%20police%20guidance%20for%20schools%20and%20colleges.pdf.



HL6867_PDF
(PDF Document, 771.13 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Children in Care: Adoption

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of court proceedings concerning children in care being put up for adoption have been adjourned or otherwise delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord keen of elie: Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service has agreed a set of business priorities with the judiciary for the family courts and are clear that all urgent family proceedings must be dealt with during the COVID-19 outbreak.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881017/Ops_update_-_family_court_business_priorities_24_April_2020_FINAL.pdfThe Family Court Statistics Quarterly report on average timeliness for care and supervision proceedings however there is no separate data for proceedings in which the care plan is adoption. The latest available data is for the quarter to March 2020.

Prisons: Mobile Phones

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets have been provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, how many phones have been (1) allocated to each prison, and (2) used by prisoners to place calls.

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets were to be provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic,how many calls have been placed to date (1) in total, and (2) in each prison that such phones have been allocated to.

lord keen of elie: As of the 14th July 132,266 connections through secure mobile PIN phones have been made. This number includes phone calls to approved telephone numbers, account check balances, failed calls and calls where they were connected to an engaged number and therefore disconnected. This number also excludes those calls made through existing in-cell telephones and secure PIN phones on prison landings. Secure mobile phones were allocated on a region by region basis with operational decisions made as to where deployment of these phones was most effective. These decisions were made considering:- whether in-cell telephones were already in place and so secure mobiles were not needed- if the potential site had suitable mobile phone signal. Some sites, due to location and build of prison did not enable effective coverage to support mobile calls. The following numbers of phones were initially deployed to each region across 65 sites: Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire & Lancashire, Cumbria120Yorkshire25Tees & Wear25North Midlands35East Midlands65West Midlands70Avon & South Dorset40South Central40Devon & North Dorset30Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk & Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk100London35Kent, Surrey & Sussex55Long Term High Security170HMPPS Wales90 Although all phone calls are monitored, we do not create reports on the number of calls on a person-by-person basis. Similarly, we do not routinely record how many times an individual makes a phone call. We have since increased the number of secure mobiles to nearly 1300.

HM Prison and Probation Service: Coronavirus

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total budget allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the total budget allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Serviceas part ofthe COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme has so far been allocated (1) to prisons, and (2) to probation.

lord keen of elie: A budget has not been yet allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.HMT have approved the scheme and the current costs for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme as needed to ensure a safe regime. We anticipate budget cover to be finalised in Autumn 2020, and will cover the full financial year.

Prisons: Coronavirus

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to end therestrictions in place in prisons to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular (1) 23-hour daily cell confinement, and (2) the ban on family visits.

lord keen of elie: As a result of the strong but necessary measures we introduced in prisons, including suspending social visits, lives have been saved and the NHS is being protected from the impact of widespread local outbreaks.Some prisons have already started to ease restrictions, including re-starting social visits with appropriate social distancing and hygiene arrangements, and enabling more time out of cell. More prisons will do so over the coming weeks, guided by public health advice and with safety remaining the absolute priority.Individual prisons and the youth estate will progress at their own speed, taking full account of their specific local circumstances.A temporary video call service to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends has also been introduced. This is intended for use whilst contact is limited and we are considering the benefits of maintaining these digital solutions in the longer term, in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Proportional Representation

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for introducing proportional electoral systems on either a trial or permanent basis; and whether this issue will be included in the White Paper on the reorganisation of local government in England.

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the White Paper on the reorganisation of local government in Englandwill include consideration of writing off, or otherwise covering, existing local government debt so any new authorities could begin debt-free.

lord greenhalgh: The Government has no intention of introducing an alternative proportional electoral system for English local government. The Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper to be published this Autumn will set out the Government’s ambitions for devolution, including detailed plans for devolving powers and for the local institutions to support this, in particular directly elected Mayors.

Infrastructure

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech on aNew Deal for Britain by the Prime Minister on 30 June, what are the individual local growth projects in England to which they have allocated £900m; how much funding has been granted to each project; what infrastructure projects will be undertaken in each; and when the funding will be given to eachsuch project.

lord greenhalgh: As part of the New Deal for Britain, we are investing £900 million in a wide range of infrastructure projects through the Getting Building Fund, which will stimulate job creation and support economic recovery. We wrote to all Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to confirm their individual funding allocations and have requested that final agreed project lists be submitted to Government by Friday 17 July for consideration. Announcements of projects will be made in due course.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rough sleepers in England were allocated accommodation in a hotel or similar accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord greenhalgh: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department has been working intensively with local areas to support rough sleepers, those in shared sleeping spaces such as shelters and those at risk of rough sleeping, into secure accommodation as part of the Everyone In programme.On 3 June, the Government published the management information that supports the announcements from the Secretary of State and Dame Louise Casey that nearly 15,000 vulnerable people had been accommodated by local authorities in response to COVID-19. This information can be (attached) found here. 



emergency accommodation survey data
(Excel SpreadSheet, 19.78 KB)

Sleeping Rough

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rough sleepers in England were reported in their latest count of rough sleepers; and when that count was conducted.

lord greenhalgh: The most recent national rough sleeping data is the autumn 2019 annual statistics, which showed a total figure of 4,266 rough sleepers on any given night.The number of people sleeping rough in the 2019 annual snapshot is 9% lower compared with the previous year and 10% lower compared with 2017.Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation in order to prevent any risk of them sleeping rough during the pandemic.

Sleeping Rough

lord shipley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the current number of rough sleepers in England not accommodated in hotels or similar accommodation.

lord greenhalgh: Almost 15,000 vulnerable people have been housed in emergency accommodation, including hotels, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to enable them to isolate and stop the virus spreading. This includes people coming in directly from the streets, people previously housed in shared night shelters and people who have become vulnerable to rough sleeping during the pandemic.The Government and local authorities have worked closely together to make accommodation available to significant number of people during this challenging time. The reasons behind people sleeping rough are complex, and some people may make decisions to refuse an offer of accommodation or leave accommodation that has been offered to them.Management information on those accommodated is collected from over 300 local authorities nationally. Local authorities hold the most up to date information regarding the number of people they are currently assisting. We are continuing to work with local authorities to understand the work they are doing to help the most vulnerable in our society.

Sleeping Rough: Coronavirus

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Greenhalgh on 14 July (HL6316), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, which local authorities have not responded to their request for information about rough sleepers and those in need of emergency accommodation to inform their decisions about additional funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord greenhalgh: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) surveyed all local authorities about accommodation support provided to rough sleepers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.All local authorities have responded to our request for information about rough sleepers and those in need of emergency accommodation.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces and Police: Common Purpose

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any member of (1) the British Armed Forces, and (2) a police force, has been sent on a leadership course run by Common Purpose; and, if so, (a) how many during each of the last 20 years, and (b) for what reason.

baroness goldie: Information about the courses attended by the British Armed Forces personnel during the last 20 years is not held in a way which would allow a fuller answer without incuring disproportionate cost. Some records, however, show that between 2014 and 2019 six Army officers, one in each year, attended leadership development courses provided by Common Purpose. The RAF and the Royal Navy have not used programmes run by Common Purpose to train personnel. Some individuals may have undertaken training with this company during their resettlement period on leaving the Services. The comprehensive leadership skills and qualifications attained in the Armed Forces means that such training is rarely considered necessary Confirming this would require manually checking all service leavers’ Joint Personnel Administration records to identify, retrieve and collate the details. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost. No information is held centrally by the Home Office about external courses attended by individual police officers. Police training and development is a matter for the College of Policing and for police forces locally.

Yemen: Military Intervention

lord browne of ladyton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the written answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Defence on 13 July (68798), how many of the 535 incidents referred to in the "Tracker" database record a civilian harm incident as a "mistake" by the Saudi-led coalition.

baroness goldie: As explained by the International Trade Secretary on 7 July 2020, all of the allegations recorded on the Tracker have been subject to detailed analysis by reference to the relevant principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and in the light of all the information and intelligence available. An evaluation has then been made, in respect of each incident, whether it is possible that it constitutes a breach of IHL or whether it is unlikely that it represents a breach. The assessment of whether it is possible that an incident constituted a breach of IHL uses all available sources of information, including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive. We are therefore not able to go into the details of individual assessments.

Defence Equipment: Finance

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessmentthey have made of the affordability of The defence equipment plan 2019, published on 27 February.

baroness goldie: The Secretary of State is taking steps to manage the financial pressures in the Ministry of Defence's plans. We have reduced the shortfall in the years from 2020-21 by securing £2.2 billion extra spending for Defence in the 2019 Spending Round and we are driving progress in our ambitious Transformation programme. Future spending decisions are for the forthcoming spending review.

Intelligence and Security Committee

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any Secretary of State for Defence received an invitation from the Intelligence and Security Committee to give evidence to that committee's inquiry into Russia; and if so, what are the reasons forthat invitationnot being accepted. [T]

baroness goldie: No Secretary of State for Defence was asked to give evidence to the Intelligence and Security Committee's inquiry into Russia, however Defence officials did give evidence.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Watchkeeper airframes are currently in-service; and how many have (1) undertaken flights in the past 12 months, and (2) been in storage for longer than 12 months.

baroness goldie: 45 Watchkeeper airframes were in service as at 23 July 2020. 13 have flown in the past 12 months and 23 have been in storage for longer than 12 months. Of those flying, 10 have been operated by the Army from Akrotiri in Cyprus and Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, three have been used for test and evaluation. The airframes in storage are held at specific, graduated, levels of readiness. This is commensurate with practices used on other Defence capabilities and assets.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the judgment in R (Pantellerisco) -v- The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions that the "earned income calculation is irrational and unlawful"in relation to the Universal Credit and the benefit cap. [T]

baroness stedman-scott: It is not appropriate to comment at this time as court proceedings are live.

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of new claimants of Universal Credit are moving from legacy benefits in each month of this year.

baroness stedman-scott: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Nature Conservation

lord patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of re-wilding in England on established fauna and flora.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: There are an increasing number of examples of re-wilding in England, but limited scientific assessments of their effects. In 2017, Natural England published a review of large-scale conservation which looked at the effects of a number of re-wilding projects. The review found some indications of positive change in the quality of woodlands, but concluded that definitive assessment was hampered by a lack of data. It is clear, nonetheless, that re-wilding approaches can deliver benefits. For example, at Knepp Castle in West Sussex, the creation of extensive grassland and scrub habitats, has boosted numbers of declining bird species like the nightingale or the turtle dove. Re-wilding is unlikely to be appropriate in all circumstances, but natural processes, such as natural colonisation of land with trees for example, could play an important part in connecting and expanding habitats and woodlands, alongside planting. The Government is therefore keen to understand the potential of re-wilding approaches to provide biodiversity and carbon benefits as we develop our tree strategy and our plans for the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme.

Home Office

Free Zones

lord german: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the debate on Port Examination Codes of Practice and National Security Determinations Guidance Regulations 2020 on 10 July (HL Deb, cols 1327–46), whether they plan for those regulations to apply to the proposed Free Ports which are intended to be established from 2021.

baroness williams of trafford: The powers under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 or Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 may only be used to examine goods at the following locations: a port (as defined at paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 7); at premises operated by a sea cargo agent or an air cargo agent; at a temporary storage facility; or at a location designated by the Secretary of State. The government consultation on Freeports closed on Monday 13th July. Any UK Freeport model will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to security will not be compromised.

Ports: Codes of Practice

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the debate on Port Examination Codes of Practice and National Security Determinations Guidance Regulations 2020 on 10 July (HL Deb, cols 1327–46)(1) what assessment they have made of the report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, UK Border Force short-term holding facilities, published on 24 June, and (2) what discussions they have had with the College of Policing regarding training and accreditation for officers applying the Code of Practice, with particular regard to racial profiling.

baroness williams of trafford: (1) We recognise the need for improvement in some facilities and there is an ongoing programme of work to ensure all sites used for detention are appropriately equipped and that the facilities are suitable to allow for the welfare of detainees to be prioritised (2) The new Schedule 7 and 3 Codes of Practice are both clear that selection of a person for examination must not be arbitrary or for discriminatory reasons and that protected characteristics (whether separately or together) are not to be used as criteria for selection except to the extent that they are used in association with considerations that relate to the threat from terrorism or hostile activity. The Home Office continues to work with the police to ensure that training and guidance for frontline officers reflects the legal provision and important safeguards of these codes.

Missing Persons: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made ofreportsthat police in England and Wales deal with 23 missing children incidents per day.

baroness williams of trafford: Annual missing persons statistics, including how many children are reported missing, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit: http://missingpersons.police.uk/en-gb/resources/downloads/missing-persons-statistical-bulletins The most recent data published by the NCA covers the period 2016-17. The NCA will publish missing persons data for 2017-18 and 2018-19 on Monday 20 July. According to the 2016/17 data there were 179,953 missing children incidents recorded by the police in England and Wales. Although the majority of missing children incidents are resolved within 48 hours (87% in the 2016/17 data) and no harm is reported in the majority of incidents (96% in the 2016/17 data), the Government recognises that children who go missing, even for a short period of time, are at significantly increased risk of harm, including from criminal and sexual exploitation. We are determined that missing children and their families should receive the best possible protection and support. This includes driving a multi-agency, risk-based response to missing children incidents, with co-ordination across the police, local authorities, health sector and voluntary sector partners. The Government is also working with the national policing lead for Missing Persons and the NCA’s UK Missing Persons Unit through the Home Office National Law Enforcement Data Programme (NLEDP) to deliver a National Register for Missing Persons (NRMP). The NRMP will allow all forces in England and Wales to manually record missing and associated found incidents, and to access data about missing people from other force areas. This will significantly improve our understanding of the scale of missing persons incidents across the UK. Through our extensive programme of work to address criminal exploitation, county lines and child sexual exploitation and abuse, we are also tackling some of the key underlying reasons why children and young people go missing.

Prostitution: Leeds

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the outcomes of the Leeds Red Light Zone review; what plans they have to encourage the application of similar managed approaches to sex work in other parts of the country; and what support they will offer to Leeds to strengthen and support implementation there.

baroness williams of trafford: Local areas and police forces are in the best position to identify and respond to issues around sex work and prostitution in their area. We know that issues around sex work and prostitution are complex, which can impact on individuals and communities in different ways. Police forces and others are able to adapt their approach to take account of these complexities and are supported in doing so by national NPCC guidance on sex work and prostitution.Since 2016 we have provided over £2.5m of funding through the Tampon Tax Fund and VAWG Transformation Fund to specialist organisations and projects in a number of local areas supporting sex workers.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the powers of the police to enforce provisions related to COVID-19, in particular in relation to (1) mass gatherings, and (2) large celebrations.

baroness williams of trafford: Under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020, it is against the law to gather outdoors in groups of more than 30 people. The police have powers to break up groups larger than 30 in certain circumstances, through dispersal and removal powers, as well as through issuing Fixed Penalty Notices. The Police will continue to follow the four-step escalation principles of engaging, explaining, encouraging, with enforcement as a last resort. The Government will continue to work closely with the police on any future changes to the regulations and guidance.

Slavery

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Justice and Care UK and the Centre for Social Justice It still happens here: Fighting UK slavery in the 2020s,published on 13 July; and what plans they have to implement its recommendations.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Secretary has noted that Justice and Care UK and the Centre for Social Justice’s report contains important findings on modern slavery. The Home Office will be looking at the report closely. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 was ground-breaking, but the Government is committed to strengthening its approach. In July 2018, the Government commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The Government accepted the majority of the Review’s recommendations (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-modern-slavery-act). The Home Office has embarked on an ambitious NRM Transformation Programme as we continue our world leading efforts to ensure genuine victims have their cases settled promptly, receive support tailored to their needs, and are provided with the support they need to move on with their lives.

Refugees: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that child refugees in (1) Greece, (2) France, and (3) other European countries, who have relatives in the UK can reunite with their families in the UK.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to offer unaccompanied child refugees currently in (1) Greece, (2) France, and (3) other European countries, the option to live in the UK.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the number of child refugees attempting illegal crossings to the UK from mainland Europe, and (2) the impact that providing safe and legal routes would have on this number.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government is committed to the principle of family reunion and to supporting vulnerable children. The UK will continue to be bound by the Dublin Regulation provisions during the transition period, allowing us to continue to transfer family reunion cases to the UK throughout 2020, and we will continue to process all family reunion requests that have been submitted but not completed under Dublin before the end of the transition period. The UK has presented a genuine and sincere offer to the EU on a future reciprocal arrangement for the family reunion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children together with a draft legal text. Protecting vulnerable children remains a key priority for the Government. In 2019 alone, the UK received more asylum applications from unaccompanied children than any country in the EU and accounted for approximately 20% of all reported asylum claims from unaccompanied children in the UK and the 27 EU Member States. In 2016, the UK committed to a one-off relocation of 480 unaccompanied children from France, Greece and Italy to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. On the 21st May we announced that 478 children had transferred under the scheme. The UK welcomes the pledges made by other countries to support Greece and stand ready to offer advice and guidance to those developing their own schemes. The UK provides a safe and legal route to bring families of refugees together through its refugee family reunion policy. This route will not be affected when we leave the EU. In the year ending March 2020, over 7,400 Refugee Family Reunion visas were issued to partners and children of those previously granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK. Additionally, Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules provides for family members wishing to enter or remain in the UK on the basis of their relationship with a family member who is a British citizen or settled in the UK, and those who are post-flight family of a person granted protection in the UK.

Asylum: Children

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to introduce a system of independent legal guardianship of unaccompanied migrant children inEngland and Wales similar to that which exists in Scotland and Northern Ireland; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact the introduction of such provisions would have on the system of independent advocates.

baroness williams of trafford: This Government takes its responsibility for the welfare of migrant children very seriously and has stringent safeguards in place.Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all unaccompanied migrant children in their area. Unaccompanied migrant children looked after by local authorities are entitled to the same services as any other looked after child. Under these arrangements, they are assessed with regard to their individual needs and provided with access to education, accommodation and health services. They will be assigned a social worker; an independent reviewing officer responsible for overseeing their care arrangements; an independent advocate responsible for accurately representing the child’s wishes and feelings; and, in many cases, they will also benefit from support from a foster carer.In addition, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children can access legal advice from qualified legal representatives and, in England, independent advice and assistance on the asylum process and in their interactions with government agencies, is available from the Refugee Council’s Children’s Advice Project.We are confident that these comprehensive arrangements ensure unaccompanied children are provided with the support and advice that they need. Consequently, the Government has no plans at present to introduce a system of independent legal guardianship for all unaccompanied migrant children in England and Wales.vv

Migrant Workers: Social Services

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their new post-Brexit fast track visa system on the availability of care workers in the UK; and what plans they have to ensure that those care workers currently resident in the UK who would not qualify for a visa under that system can continue to work in this country.

baroness williams of trafford: The social care sector is invaluable to our country. Social care workers have shown incredible dedication during this extraordinary time. We truly value the work they are doing, which is why the Government set out steps in our Action Plan for Adult Social Care to support the workforce, ensuring we have the staff we need and that they feel both supported and valued. However, the independent Migration Advisory Committee has been very clear that immigration is not the answer to the challenges in this sector. As we implement the new immigration system, we want employers to focus on investing in our domestic work force. The Government is working with the sector in a number of ways to help support it during this difficult time and going forward, including extra funding and a national recruitment campaign. Additionally, the EU Settlement Scheme means that all EU and EAA citizens, and their family members, already in the UK, many of them working in social care, can stay in the UK and we are encouraging them to do so. We will keep labour market data under very careful scrutiny to monitor any pressures in key sectors, especially considering recent events.

Migrant Workers: Social Services

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the new post-Brexit fast track visa system on recruitment in the care sector.

baroness williams of trafford: The social care sector is invaluable to our country. Social care workers have shown incredible dedication during this extraordinary time. We truly value the work they are doing, which is why the Government set out steps in our Action Plan for Adult Social Care to support the workforce, ensuring we have the staff we need and that they feel both supported and valued. However, the independent Migration Advisory Committee has been very clear that immigration is not the answer to the challenges in this sector. As we implement the new immigration system, we want employers to focus on investing in our domestic work force. The Government is working with the sector in a number of ways to help support it during this difficult time and going forward, including extra funding and a national recruitment campaign. Additionally, the EU Settlement Scheme means that all EU and EAA citizens, and their family members, already in the UK, many of them working in social care, can stay in the UK and we are encouraging them to do so. We will keep labour market data under very careful scrutiny to monitor any pressures in key sectors, especially considering recent events.

Immigration: Domestic Service

the lord bishop of bristol: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish further details about any changes to the routes of entry to the UK for overseas domestic workers.

the lord bishop of bristol: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether overseas domestic workers will still be eligible for visas to work and reside in the UK after 1 January 2021.

baroness williams of trafford: Our broad approach for January 2021 will be to maintain the existing provisions for overseas domestic workers, expanding this route to include EU citizens.

Seasonal Workers: Pilot Schemes

the lord bishop of bristol: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish the results of the seasonal workers pilot.

baroness williams of trafford: The outcome of the Seasonal Workers Pilot will be announced in due course.

Asylum: Coronavirus

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many fines have been issued to people arriving in the UK who have failed to provide an address to the authorities when requested as part of the measures to fight COVID-19.

baroness williams of trafford: No Fixed Penalty Notices have been issued as a result of failure to supply an address.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector: Contracts

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of (1) the level of corporate debt in companies providing essential public services through outsourcing, and(2) any risks such outsourcingpresents to the continuation of public services.

lord true: The private sector has a vital role to play in delivering good value, innovative, and high quality public services. We continue to regularly monitor the financial health of suppliers, including all of our strategic suppliers. Throughout these unprecedented times, suppliers have worked with Government to protect the delivery of vital public services and aid the response to the pandemic.The Outsourcing Playbook, which was updated in June 2020, includes 11 key policy reforms which help government and industry work better together to deliver quality public services.

Brexit

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the adequacy of their preparations for the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.

lord true: The Government is working to ensure the UK is prepared for the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. We recently announced a significant investment in ports and borders infrastructure. We have also launched a major new campaign to communicate the steps we must all take to prepare for the end of the transition period. Details are available at gov.uk/transition.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister last spoke to the First Ministers of (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland, in relation to actions being taken toaddress the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord true: There have been regular discussions between the UK government and Devolved Administrations throughout the crisis, including through the COBR committee and Ministerial Implementation Groups. This is in addition to regular official and ministerial engagement, including weekly calls led by the Secretary of State for Health.As was the case under the previous administration, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster continues to lead engagement with the Devolved Administrations through regular calls with the First Ministers of Scotland and Wales, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland. The most recent call took place on 24 July.

Ports: Wales

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what arrangements they have made with the ports of Holyhead, Pembroke Dock and Fishguard to address any changes required following the end of the transition period of the UK's departure from the EU.

lord true: I refer the noble Lord to the oral statement made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office on 13 July in the Other Place about the publication of a detailed Border Operating Model, which I repeated in this House on 15 July 2020. This will allow Welsh border industry and traders to prepare for the end of the transition period.

Treasury

Infrastructure

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the speech on aNew Deal for Britain by the Prime Minister on 30 June, who are the members of the Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce named ‘Project Speed’; and when that taskforce will first meet.

lord agnew of oulton: The Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce is led by the Chancellor, and comprises ministers and officials from No.10, HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and the IPA, with other departments invited as required.The Taskforce meets regularly to ensure the objectives of Project Speed are implemented.

Holyhead Port: Parking

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) land has been purchased, and (2) planning consent received, for new truck parking spaces at the Port of Holyhead in order to address any changes required as a result of the UK's departure from the EU; and if so, when (a) the land was purchased, and (b) the consent received.

lord agnew of oulton: HMRC have not purchased any land near the Port of Holyhead for new HGV parking spaces. A number of HGV spaces were leased at the nearby Roadking site to support the processing of ATA Carnets ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU in January 2020. Planning permission for this was granted on 4 October 2019.

Insolvency

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they havereceived about their plans to restoreCrown Preference in insolvency proceedings from December.

lord agnew of oulton: Reforms to HMRC’s preferential creditor status will not restore Crown Preference. The Government has taken a proportionate approach, applying changes only to taxes paid in good faith by employees and customers, but held temporarily by the business, including Pay as You Earn (PAYE) Income Tax and VAT. Since reforms were announced at Budget 2018, officials and interested parties have maintained productive and fruitful discussion. The Government held a formal consultation between February and May 2019, seeking views from businesses, lenders and insolvency practitioners. Having balanced the interests of taxpayers, the Exchequer and other creditors, the Government believes these reforms take a fair and proportionate approach. This measure was legislated for in Finance Act 2020, to take effect from 1 December.

Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide income and other support for individuals forced to self-isolate or find a safe place to remain during a geographically-defined or workplace-related COVID-19 lockdown.

lord agnew of oulton: Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) has been extended to those told to self-isolate due to whole household quarantine, or due to the Test and Trace programme. The Government has taken additional measures to make SSP payable from day 1, not day 4 for these cases. SSP should only be paid to those unable to work, and those able to work from home should receive their normal wage. These changes apply in areas under local lockdown.In addition to the changes to SSP, those living in areas of local lockdown can benefit from the unprecedented set of measures introduced by the Chancellor to help individuals affected by COVID-19. This includes the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention and Self-Employment Income Support Schemes, as well as the injection of an additional £9.3bn into the welfare system according to OBR estimates.On accommodation, the Government recognises the challenges faced by many who are sleeping rough and it is committed to helping them. So far, over 90 per cent of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis and known to local authorities have been offered safe accommodation.The Government has provided £221m of additional funding for rough sleepers during the crisis, including £3.2m specifically to help those who need to self-isolate. This brings total support for rough sleepers in 2020/21 to over half a billion pounds. All local authorities in England will be able to benefit from these measures, including those under local lockdown.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Cybercrime and Defence

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis they decided to allocate responsibility for parliamentary questions relating to cyber and national defence to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; and what assessment they have made of the response of foreign governments to the UK’s inclusion of such matters in a ministerial portfolio also including sport.

baroness barran: DCMS is responsible for cyber security policy and works closely with other government departments responsible for delivery of the government’s National Cyber Security Strategy as well as the National Cyber Security Centre. The objectives of the National Cyber Security Strategy are divided between 5 departments. DCMS is responsible for cyber security policy, as it relates to securing the economy and society against attacks, building skills, expanding the sector, supporting innovation, science and technology. The Cabinet Office has overall responsibility for delivery of the National Cyber Security Strategy, sits on the National Security Council and is responsible for the security of government systems. The Home Office leads on cyber crime and incident response while the Ministry of Defence has overall responsibility for operational cyber capabilities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has statutory responsibility for GCHQ and, thus, for the National Cyber Security Centre - the UK’s national technical authority for cyber security. Parliamentary questions are allocated to across departments on basis of this shared responsibility.Internationally it is not unusual for foreign governments to divide responsibility for cyber security between departments responsible for the economy, security, defence and policing. DCMS has regular productive dialogues with many countries to advance UK interests and to share information and best practice. The inclusion of cyber in DCMS’ portfolios has never been raised as an issue for international partners.

Voluntary Work: EU Nationals

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to promote volunteering opportunities in the UK after 31 December for young people from EU countries.

baroness barran: The European Solidarity Corps (ESC) offers volunteering opportunities to young people aged 18-30 from both the UK and the European Union. The UK will continue to participate fully in the current (2018-2020) ESC programme. This means that projects that successfully bid for funding during the current programme will continue to receive EU funding for the full duration of the project, including those where funding runs beyond 31 December 2020 and the end of the transition period. Young people from the UK and EU countries will continue to be able to participate in these projects.The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is considering options for alternatives to EU programmes offering international opportunities to young people. Funding for these opportunities will be subject to the Comprehensive Spending Review.